Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-19
SMOKE AND ASHES.
A DISASTROUS FIRE. ON THE OUT
SKIRTS OF TOWN.
Clark's Pottery Totally Consumed
Yesterday Afternoon-Loss,
S45,0OO-Other Fires.

few minutes after o'clock yesterday
afternoon a telephone message was re-
ceived at the police station asking that an
alarm be turned in at the water works for
blaze in Clark's pottery, located on what
is known as the J-stI eet road, about 2O0
yards from the city limits, adjoining the
Jewish Cemetery. On the east is the fine
two-story frame dwelling of Mr.. Clark; on
the south row of shed-like houses, occu-
pied by the workmen, of whom there were
thirty or more employed in and around
the place in various capacities. The pot
terry proper faced on the road, and was a
large, well-constructed two-story frame
building, about 800 feet square. 1t was
divided into several apartments, occupied
by the kiln rooms, moldlng rooms grind
ing rooms, etc. The west end of the build
ing was filled with cord-wood and large
quantity of finished sewer pipe.
The fire originated in the eastern end of
the building, in the kln-room, and is sup
posed to have caught from spark thrown
out of furnace. 1t spread with lightning
rapidity and the structure was doomed to
destruction in few minutes after the fire
started About this time the water works
officials were notified and the whistle was
blown for box 81, at Twentieth and X
streets, being the nearest station TO the ire.
This is the reason why the alarm was not
struck on the engine-house bells. The Fire
Department apparatus promptly turned
out, the Nineteenth and L hose COM
pany, the truck company and en-
cine company No. going to the
fire. No. l engine company going only as
far as Tenth street When the Department
arrived at the scene line of hose had al
ready been connected and led to the fire
from a plug on Thirty-frst street between
and J streets, by the uptown hose COM
pany, but the water pressure at this point
was not strong enough to be of any service.
The railroad water train and fire crew, un
der direction of Martin Holland, day yard
master, also responded to the alarm and
reached the fire nearly as soon as the De-
partment. They were enabled to do this
by first going out the R-street track to
switch beyond the city limits that leads to
the pottery. They did good service and
aided the Fire Department in their labors
very materially.
During the progress of the fire large
water tank on the east side of the works
fell with deafening crash, sending sky
ward huge cloud of smoke and cindeIs.
A tall brick chimney also toppled over.
Two of the immense burning kilns, con-
tainlng S. 900 worth of pipe, were totally
destroyed, together with their contents.
Two other kilns were uninjured, and if
they do not cool too suddenly their con-
tents will not be damaged. The fence on
the east side of the Jewish Cemetery was
DESTROYED, and some of the monuments
may be injured by the intense heat The
machinery was totally destroyed, together
with large amount of betting and shaft
ing. About 400 cords of wood was also
burned. The establishment was owned by
n. Clark Il Sons, who have an agency in
San Francisco for their wares. Mr.. Clark,
Jr., was seen yesterday by RECORD UNION
representative, and stated that the loss on
the machinery, stock, tools and building
would not be far from $4,000. The firm
had an insurance on the property of s. 800,
equally divided in the Caledonia Insurance
Company of Edinburgh, Scotland, and the
Manchester Fire Insurance Company of
Manchester, England, Richmond Davis,
agent. Mr.. Clark could not say if the firm
would rebuild until he had seen his father
and brother, the other members, who are
at present in San Francisco.
SATURDAY NIGHTS FIRE.
Saturday evening an alarm of fire was
sounded from box 26 for fire in the Capt.
tai Furniture factory at Sixth and II streets
The fire was found to be among some paint
kegs, and they were thrown out of win
dow by officer Ash. No damage was done
and the services of the fire department were
not needed.
About o'clock yesterday morning Off
Ger Mccormack noticed that the window
curtains and castings in the ladies parlor of
the Eldred House on K street, between,
Tenth and Eleventh, were on fire. He
broke open the front door and extinguished
the flames before they could gain serious
Roadway. Earlier in the evening an incip-
lent fire in barn in the rear of the hotel
was found and extinguished by the en-
ployes. These two fires, both on the same
evening and on the same property, lead to
| the belief that they were of incendiary
| origin.
Last evening shortly after 8 o'clock the
whistle at the water works sounded an
alarm of fire from box %. The employees
should not blow for that box when it
comes in on the gong, for that is the num-
Der of the box located at the water works.
| They say that no alarm was turned in at
| the water works. Why, therefore, should
they blow the water works box, when they
knew that an alarm had not been turned